Page 21 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2017

COMMENTARY OCTOBER 20, 2017 – PAKISTAN LINK – P21

Viking Burial Clothes Woven with ‘Allah’ Discovered in Sweden

Swedish university has discov- Viking graves are only the result of plunder or
ered Arabic characters for “Allah” trade because, she explained, “the inscriptions
A and “Ali” woven into Viking burial appear in typical Viking age clothing that have
clothes. Researchers at Uppsala University their counterparts in preserved images of
describe the fi nding of the geometric Kufi c Valkyries”.
characters in silver on woven bands of silk Larsson said the choice of burial clothes
as “staggering”. refl ected the fi neries of Viking life rather than
Th e researchers at Uppsala, Sweden’s old- the day-to-day reality, in much the same way
est university, were re-examining clothes that that in the modern era people are buried in
had been in storage for some time. Th ey had formal clothes. “Presumably, Viking age burial
originally been found at Viking burial sites in customs were infl uenced by Islam and the idea
Birka and Gamla Uppsala in Sweden. of an eternal life in paradise aft er death.”
Viking contact with the Islamic world is a
Viking contact with the well-established fact. Th ere have been fi nds of
Islamic world is a well- more than 100,000 Islamic silver coins known
as dirhams in Viking-age Scandinavia. DNA
established fact. Th ere
have been fi nds of more
than 100,000 Islamic silver
coins known as dirhams in

Viking-age Scandinavia.
DNA analysis of Viking
graves has also shown
that some of them contain
people who originated in
Persia analysis of Viking graves has also shown that

some of them contain people who originated
Textile archaeology researcher Annika in Persia.
Larsson told the BBC that at fi rst she could Th e Vale of York hoard, discovered near
not make sense of the symbols, but then, “I Harrogate in 2007, contained objects relating
remembered where I had seen similar designs: to three belief systems – Islam, Christianity
in Spain, on Moorish textiles.” and the worship of Th or – and at least seven
Th is led to the identifi cation of the name diff erent languages. And in March 2015 a Vi-
“Ali” in the text and, when looked at in a mir- king woman’s glass ring was discovered bear-
ror, the word “Allah” in reverse was revealed. ing the inscription “for Allah” or “to Allah”.
“Perhaps this was an attempt to write Th e textile fi nds with the Arabic script are on
prayers so that they could be read from left
to right,” said Larsson. Arabic characters are display at Enköpings museum’s exhibition on
more typically inscribed right to left . Th e fi nd- The meaning of the characters was revealed in a mirror. Photograph: Annika Larsson Viking couture until February 2018. - Science
ing contradicts theories that Islamic objects in | Th e Guardian
Th e Sound of a Body Being Dropped into the Pit When a Man Is Hanged

J ails get quiet when prisoners hear an ex- Th ey do not have much to do to while ing the victim’s family of the option to part series, curated in collaboration with

Justice Project Pakistan, in lead up to
away the time. So they clean. But some-
forgive Mami.
ecution warrant has been issued.
Th e superintendent told him to re-
Like every other jail in Pakistan,
the execution.
Sahiwal Central Jail was full. Of course, times, they also help with carrying out cite the kalma. I don’t think Mami heard Th e World Day Against the Death Pen-
alty on October 10th)
by full, I mean holding twice as many Th e prisoners helping out with the him. He kept crying out that he had not
prisoners than it was built for. If you put execution are responsible for removing done it, that he was innocent, that killing
thousands of men in cages, it can get the body, aft er it has remained suspend- him would be murder, not justice. Even IMRAN FROM P15
loud. I barely slept at night when I was a ed for 30 minutes. Th is is a requirement aft er they placed the hood over his face, Later on the same day, the PTI chief
prisoner there for ten years. Th e sounds under Pakistan’s Prisons Manual. Th ey Mami spent his last few breaths begging had said that the PML-N had attacked the
of men snoring, crying and sometimes also clean the corpse, and hand it over to for his life. judiciary and claimed that a “drama” had
screaming in their sleep will keep you the family that waits outside the prison Th ere are barely any state execution- been staged so that the Sharif family could
awake. gate with a charpai and a set of clothes. ers in Pakistan, despite having one of the protect itself from accountability.
Th e exception was when we knew Th e family is also told to arrange an am- world’s largest death rows. Th at day, he Earlier in the day, via a video message
that one of us was heading to the gal- bulance at their own expense. was not available. So instead, the jail released from Washington, the interior
lows. We would get silent, but we would Prisons have a graveyard where un- warden pulled the lever. Before he did, minister sought to provide further clari-
lose our sleep. claimed bodies are buried. Th ere are not he bowed his head and said, “I’m help- fi cation on the statement he had made on
Th ey would quietly separate the that many graves there, though. Many of less Mami. I’m obligated to do this. If Friday.
prisoner with the execution warrant us have families. Demonised as we are you can, please forgive me.” Iqbal said that ISPR’s statements re-
from the general population of the pris- by the rest of the world, there are still You never forget the sound of a garding Pakistan’s economy had been in
on. We all knew then that his time had people who remember us as humans, body being dropped into the pit. Th e confl ict with the image he was presenting
come. not criminals. We do mean something way the beam creaks is not loud enough before the World Bank during his meetings
Even those of us who were not on to somebody. to drown out the choking, the sound of in Washington. He added that he had to an-
death row would tense up. Held like I was asked to witness an execution a bone breaking. Th e only dignity they swer several questions on the contradiction
animals in a pen, we would turn to the of one of my fellow inmates in 2006. give him, is that at least you cannot see in the two images of Pakistan’s economy
one thing that we could do: pray. We Mami Pabal was a burly man, at least six his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he and therefore, made a statement expressing
would collect in groups, praying to a feet tall with a booming voice. He had gasps for breath. his opinion.
higher power – because the power on been at Sahiwal Central Jail for years Th e power to take a life has a hum- “We do not have any confl ict with any-
the ground was not listening – to spare and had befriended many of us. Even the bling eff ect on prison offi cials. Th ey, too, one,” the interior minister said, without
his life, for mercy to replace vengeance, prison offi cials liked his company. It was are taken aback by what they have done. mentioning a particular institution or indi-
for a miracle. easy to forget that he had been accused Th ey would be less harsh with prisoners vidual. “All of us have the same purpose: a
We would know that the deed had of murder. He used to joke, “Th ere are a the next day. Aft er all, they have also lost stable Pakistan,” Iqbal added.
been done when the prison guard, lot of crimes I should be in here for – but someone who they have seen day in, day “We have great respect for our soldiers
charged with counting the prisoners this murder is not one of them.” out, oft en for years. who sacrifi ce their lives for our country’s
every morning, would be late. On nor- When death unnecessarily came for No job should require this much of protection,” the minister added.
mal days, he would turn up at 5:30 am. him, he cried like a small child. you. On Saturday, the interior minister had
On an execution day, he would arrive He was escorted to the gallows. (Sohail Yafat was falsely accused explained that Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor’s com-
by 8:00 am. Th at day, none of us would Half-carried would be more accurate. of murder in 2001. He spent ten years ment that “the country’s economic health, if
speak. Th e televisions and radio would Th e Medical Offi cer, Magistrate, jail Su- in jail before he was acquitted without not bad, was not good either” had hurt him.
be silent. perintendent, blacksmith, and two men any charge. Sohail narrated this story to Iqbal had stressed the need for a “joint
Jails in Pakistan are always clean be- from the victim’s family were there. Th e Rimmel Mohydin, who put it in form of voice” to highlight the “positive aspects of
cause prisoners are in charge of upkeep. jail staff who were present kept remind- an article. Th is article is last of a three- the country” before the world.
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